I just got my first rejection letter.

I’ve been trying not to check my email too obsessively since I submitted “Outlaw Love Story,” so when I checked a little while ago and saw the email I’ve been waiting for, my heart did a little fluttery flip-flop and I held my breath as I opened it.

“Outlaw Love Story” got rejected — which means that someone read it. Someone other than my little circle of writers and readers.

It also means that I get another chance to submit it; I’ve done some editing since I submitted it. It’s not drastically different, though I did cut about 400 words and explained a few things to make my main character’s wife seem less suspicious.

I can’t wait until my next writers’ group now, so that I can show everyone (what I think is) the final draft, get their opinions, and get it ready to submit somewhere else.

I also have a new goal: 100 rejection letters by this day next year. It’s the 19th*, after all; it feels right to start this goal today.

I won’t lie; I do feel a little bit of disappointment mixed in with the excitement of actually having received a rejection letter. But I look at it positively: I actually submitted a story**, an editor actually read it, and now I get the chance to make it better and submit it somewhere else.

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*Nerdy Dark Tower reference. 19 is my number. All things serve the Beam.

**I did it! I did it! I did it!